Former Kaizer Chiefs star Thuso Phala has weighed in on the deepening crisis at Naturena following a dismal run of four consecutive defeats that has left the Amakhosi faithful reeling.
This comes after the Soweto giants suffered another heartbreak on Tuesday night, losing 1-0 to Richards Bay FC in their Betway Premiership clash at the Umhlathuze Sports Complex.
This setback marks a worrying trend for the Glamour Boys, who have previously succumbed to three other league defeats to Orlando Pirates [3-0] and Stellenbosch FC [2-1], as well as a 2-1 defeat to Zamalek SC in the CAF Confederation Cup group stages.
Following the mid-week result, Chiefs have dropped to fifth position on the Betway Premiership log standings with 30 points after 18 matches. This loss against the Natal Rich Boyz affected Chiefs’ hopes of challenging for the league title.
As a result, Chiefs co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef are firmly in the firing line as the club’s form continues to plummet. While the duo initially stabilised the ship after succeeding Nasreddine Nabi in October 2025, a disastrous run of results has depleted the patience of the Amakhosi faithful, triggering deafening calls for their axes to fall.
WHAT CEDRIC KAZE SAID AFTER KAIZER CHIEFS’ FOURTH CONSECUTIVE DEFEAT
After a disappointing fourth defeat in a row, assistant coach Kaze urged for patience and a shift in tactics. “I believe that it’s going to pass. The moment is going to pass. It’s a very bad moment. But we need to stay together. We need to stay together and work very hard,” said Kaze in a post-match interview with SuperSport TV.
“Of course, it’s true that we had a possession in the first half, but I would say it was a sterile possession without breaking lines. I think probably we had too many players that are fit ballers and not enough runners behind the defensive line.”
In the wake of Kaze’s post-match remarks and the stinging defeat to Richards Bay, Phala didn’t mince his words as he echoed the fans’ frustrations. The former winger pointed the finger directly at a glaring lack of tactical identity and leadership in the dugout, questioning the direction of the technical team.
He argued that the current technical team relies too heavily on moments of individual brilliance rather than a cohesive tactical blueprint.
“At Kaizer Chiefs, we need a big coach—someone like Stuart Baxter or Pitso Mosimane, perhaps a coach with a strong character. I mean, you can see that the players at Chiefs are not well-coached at the moment. There are good players in the team. But they won’t perform well because of the structure of the team,” Phala told Omni Audio Podcast.
‘THIS SEASON IS GONE’: SAYS THUSO PHALA
“If you have a big coach who is well-structured, even when a player has a bad game, and you replace them, the team will still play well. At Chiefs, we are depending on individual players on matchday to do something special alone, which won’t work for the team.
“We need a coach who is going to come in and structure the team, so that even when the players are out of form, the team will play well together. I think that’s what is needed at Chiefs because we are hurt now and very disappointed with the team.
Phala believes that the focus must shift immediately to recruiting a coach with a “big character” to reclaim the club’s glory days next season.
“But hopefully, this will pass. We are looking forward to the next season because this season is gone. Hopefully, we will get a big coach who can compete for titles,” he added.
Chiefs’ next league assignment will be against Durban City FC on Sunday, 15 March at FNB Stadium. The kick-off for this particular showpiece is set for 15:30.
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